Eating Disorders

There are many different types of eating disorders in our world today and many people suffer from them. Bulimia, Anorexia, and binge eating are eating disorders that are extremely common in young women and the incidence of anorexia and bulimia are rising. The two main eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by a person with a body weight less than 85% of what is considered normal weight. Anorexics limit their food intake, they continue to diet even after they are bone thin, and they are never satisfied with their appearance. They engage in excessive exercising and long depressions. Anorexics often find sleeping a discomfort because they have lost their normal body fat. They also tend to further themselves from their family and friends; they want to be isolated. There are many dangers from starving yourself. The body tends to slow down or even stop body processes, blood pressure may fall, breathing rate may drop, and menstruation also stops. The thyroid gland, which regulates growth, also disappears. Nails, hair, and skin become brittle and dry, and joints swell. The body chemicals may also be so imbalanced heart failure may occur. This is a very dangerous obsession. People who suffer from Bulimia also want to be thin, but they do it in another fashion called binging and purging. Binging is when people eat a bunch of food, exceeding normal calorie intake. Purging is the way to get rid of the food. This way, they affected are still able to eat, and can still be thin. They just use laxatives or gag themselves with their fingers after eating. This upsets the body's balance of chemicals, which may cause fatigue, seizures, irregular heartbeats, and thinner bones. Some other effects are damage to the stomach and esophagus, skin rashes, broken blood vessels on the face, and irregular menstrual cycles. Bulimia is very dangerous and can often be deadly. There are many people who suffer from these disorders.

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